It features bajillions of references, from movies to music to other anime. It’s an amalgam of the sensibilities Hirohiko Araki has cultivated throughout his life. And in this list we’ll be looking at his greatest protagonists. Whether they’re a JoJo or a JoBro, they’re all iconic in their own ways.
25. Narciso Anasui
Anasui is an inmate of Green Dolphin Street Prison, alongside Jolyne and her group. They fall head-over-heels for her, and decides to join her escape mission and later attempts to stop Pucci from achieving Heaven. Their Stand, [Diver Down], allows them to phase through tangible objects and alter its mass makeup. They can be quite overwhelming when it comes to feelings, being unable to neither restrain their adoration of Jolyne nor hold themselves back in conflict scenarios.
24. Joshu Higashikata
Joshu is a complex side character in JoJolion, a middle child of the Higashikata suffering from inferiority. They have a reserved, standoffish personality, as his is likely autistic. However, he can be way too overbearing and intrusive when it comes to his (and the protagonist, Josuke) love interest, Yasuho. His Stand, [Nut King Call], allows him to dissemble people and things as though they were mechanical instruments.
23. Jonathan Joestar
Jonathan started the whole thing off. An ode to 80s action heroes of Western movies and contemporary manga, he’s noble and honest with a stubborn yet well-mannered personality. He doesn’t have a Stand. Though if he did, it would likely be [Purple Hermit] like Joseph’s. However, he has mastered Hamon and Ripple, and is capable of dealing out great amounts of brutal physical damage with his fists and solar breathing. It’s hard not to love Jonathan for his simplicity – he represents the beginning of the entire journey, and his core tenants can be felt throughout all of the Joestar bloodline.
22. Trish Una
Trish is the daughter of The Boss of Passione, and her life has therefore been a shaky one. Moved from place to place and unable to form social bonds due to her connection to her father, she developed anti-social tendencies. When Bruno and his gang vow to protect her, she’s initially rude and uncaring. Dismissive of her new allies. However, over time she comes to recognize them as friends and softens up with the help of her Stand, [Spice Girl].
21. Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is a unique protagonist, as she’s actually a Stand – in this case a collection of plankton amalgamated into a creature that is capable of taking on other appearances. At first, she works with Enrico Pucci against Jolyne and her friends before changing sides to become a major ally for the remainder of the part. They’re funny, goofy, and really damn cool in combat situations. However they do rely on heavy hydration.
20. Hot Pants
Hot Pants is a side character with a huge presence throughout Steel Ball Run. She’s an agent of the Vatican sent to acquire the Corpse parts, and works for herself. Therefore, she allies herself with protagonists and antagonists through the part to better leverage her situation in the race and her mission. They’re vindictive and antagonistic, but ultimately heroic, using her Stand [Cream Starter] to generate and distort a flesh like substance capable of assaultive and defensive capabilities.
19. Caesar Anthonio Zeppeli
Caesar is the JoBro of Part 2: Battle Tendency, serving as rival and companion to Joseph Joestar in the fight against the Pillar Men. He’s courageous and heroic, prioritizing noble decency over trickery unlike Joseph. He’s short-tempered, however, and lets his thirst for vengeance and recognition overthrows his cool-headedness. His Hamon Ripple style revolves around bubbles, allowing him diverse combative abilities at both short and long ranged distances.
18. Noriaki Kakyoin
After being saved from DIO’s brainwashing by Jotaro, Kakyoin dedicates himself towards stopping the megalomaniac and becoming a member of the Stardust Crusaders. He’s a handsome and intelligent student with a cool disposition and a ladykiller personality. He loves older women, and frequently makes compliments or flirts throughout the part. Due to his reliability, he becomes one of Jotaro’s best friends and a trusted ally to the group, owing also to his Stand, [Hierophant Green].
17. Josuke Higashikata
Josuke is the protagonist of Part 5: Diamond is Unbreakable. He’s a brash teenage student with a soft heart and a drive to protect and heal those in danger. His Stand, [Crazy Diamond], lets him reset or reconfigure a person or item’s physical properties. This makes him far more of a support character, which is reflective of his role in the story as he often takes a step back to allow others the spotlight. Towards the end, Josuke serves as a perfect foe to Yoshikage Kira, representing the social side of life that Kira lacks.
16. Narancia Ghirga
Narancia is a brash, airheaded youth with a sad and tragic childhood. He’s estranged from society and needs to look towards others for support and advice, which led him into some fairly rough crowds before finding shelter in Bruno’s gang. He’s very emotional, both in times of distress and anger. And he employs his small airplane Stand, [Aerosmith], to track his foe’s carbon dioxide production for aerial extermination.
15. Koichi Hirose
Koichi could be considered the technical protagonist of Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable, as he experiences the most growth. This is representative by his changing design and Stand, [Echoes]. He’s a nice yet weak teenager with a soft heart, and struggles to fit in. So when Josuke and his friends welcome him warmly, he begins a transformation into the person he wants to be. His relationship with Jotaro is also very sweet and humanizes the protagonist of Stardust Crusaders in a way that develops hic character greatly. Araki seemed to recognize his protagonist role, as he also introduces the fifth part with Koichi entering Italy to find Giorno Giovanna.
14. Jean Pierre Polnareff
We meet Polnareff at the beginning of Stardust Crusaders when he’s looking to avenge his sister who was murdered by a man with two right hands. He’s a Frenchman with a noble sense of justice and a heroic heart. And throughout the part we find him as he experiences culture shock repeatedly. Despite being the comedic relief of the group, he can also carry many arcs on his own shoulders. And when push comes to shove, he’s handy in action with the help of his Stand, [Silver Chariot].
13. Jolyne Cujoh
Jolyne is the daughter of Jotaro; energetic, loudmouthed, often outspoken, but heroic. She possesses her father’s brashness, as well as his determination. At the beginning she’s in prison for a murder she was a part of. But she comes to realize her imprisonment is part of a larger scheme orchestrated by the warden. She soon unlocks her Stand, [Stone Free] that can turn her body into string. This girl is the only female JoJo so far, and an absolute treat to follow. I cannot wait for Stone Ocean’s adaptation!
12. Norisuke Higashikata IV
Norisuke is the head of the Higashikata, husband of Kaato and father of Jobin, Hato, Joshu, and Daiya. Later he adopts Josuke (Gappy). He owns the Higashikata Fruit Company, enamored with the idea of selling fruit and flowers, as he believes they are the perfect present to give to one you love. His Stand has one of the coolest designs in the franchise, despite [King Nothing] only being able to track a target via scent and reconstruction. He’s funny and laid-back, yet willing to do anything to protect his family – it’s for this reason that he aims to find the Rocacaca fruit and rid them of the Higashikata curse. He provides a paternal, humorous role, and I couldn’t imagine JoJolion without his warm presence.
11. Rai Mamezuku
Rai Mamezuku is an antisocial, eccentric hermit man, hidden in electric pylons like a monkey and only coming down to get preserves and check on his harvest. He’s a professional plant appraiser and a secret contact of Norisuke when his services are required. However, he gets mixed up in Josuke’s search for the Rocacaca fruit and ends up being one of his closest allies. He uses his Stand, [Doggy Style], much like Jolyne does with her [Stone Free], by unraveling his body like an apply peel. He’s a fascinating character whose role is equally unraveling at the moment, and I’m interested to see where he develops.
10. Yasuho Hirose
Yasuho Hirose is the deuteragonist of the eighth part, and the love interest to the protagonist JoJo (Gappy/Josuke). After discovering Josuke embedded in the faults of Morioh, naked and amnesiac, she takes him under her wing and introduces him to the Higashikata household. It’s through her, as a guiding force, that he’s able to traverse the streets of Morioh and attempt reclamation of his memories and identity. This is particularly befitting of her Stand, [Paisley Park] – an enigmatically designed Stand of humanoid proportions, covered in street signs and neighborhood motifs that is capable of guiding Yasuho towards her goals as an aiding force. Her flowery design is also wonderful, simple, and contemporary, yet unmistakably JoJo.
9. Giorno Giovanna
Giorno is the estranged son of DIO (and, technically, Jonathan Joestar). A mysterious and quiet man with a fierce disposition and dreams of becoming a ‘Gang-Star’. His goal is to topple the regime of Passione due to its unlawful drug distribution, and reaffirm himself as The Boss. And with that, his goals and personality act as an amalgam of both his fathers, constantly in flux – he’s a good person, with selfless goals he wishes to enforce through selfishness. Giorno is an embodiment of Nature vs Nature, represented through his organically transmuting Stand, [Gold Experience].
8. Guido Mista
Now Guido is one of the main protagonists of Golden Wind, joining Giorno and Bruno and the rest of their gang in engaging with Passione’s boss and protecting Trish. He’s a reliable, if not aloof, ally with paranoid sensibilities. His design is esoteric and unusual, as are his mannerisms. Not to mention he’s very comfortable in his body, to the ire of others. Despite this, Guido Mista is an incredibly proactive and often intelligent member of the gang, throwing himself headfirst into combat and willing to sacrifice himself for a teammate. However, Mista is terrified of the number four, and frequently mentions his dismay whenever the figure is mentioned. His Stand, [Sex Pistols], act as redirective bullets, allowing his already enhanced sharpshooter abilities more flexibility.
7. Jotaro Kujo
Jotaro is one of the most popular and frequent characters of the franchise. He appears in part 3 as the main JoJo, forced to travel to Egypt to stop DIO once and for all. Then makes a large appearance in part 4, investigating Morioh for a serial killer and soon dragged into the main plot. He briefly introduces part 5 alongside Koichi, and is a major plot point in part 6 (alongside being the protagonist’s father). So he’s been around. This guy’s brash, stoic, and calm on the exterior, yet features a soft and caring interior. His speed and strength is near unmatched courtesy of his Stand, [Star Platinum], that only gets better by the end of Stardust Crusaders.
6. Joseph Joestar
JoJo is perhaps the most “JoJo” of all the JoJo’s. He’s the second most recurring character, being the main JoJo of part 2, a core ally of part 3, and a secondary character in part 4. However, he never seems to change his trickster ways, always exhibiting ingenuity and impressive intellect in combative situations. Never afraid to cheat, Joseph is always aiming for victory or survival. He uses Hamon throughout his titular part, but develops the relatively weak Stand, [Hermit Purple], in Stardust Crusaders. His design is amazing throughout his own part, sporting the flamboyance and poses in Battle Tendency that has become synonymous with the series. However, as he ages his design does too. In Stardust Crusaders, he’s sporting his iconic traveller’s gear, and in Diamond is Unbreakable he’s seen with a long duster coat and old-man’s hat. For many people, Joseph is the iconic JoJo. And it’s understandable to see why.
5. Rohan Kishibe
Rohan is one of Araki’s personal favorite characters, serving as a conduit to his ideals on being a mangaka. This guy is an accomplished and famous manga author with plenty of titles under his belt, which is reflective in his Stand, [Heaven’s Door], that he uses to peek into the consciousness and memories of people. He can even erase and replace entries, making him a truly formidable enemy – were it not for the fact that Rohan is primarily concerned with artistic endeavors. He’s witty, sarcastic, but still entirely caring and selfless. This guy is willing to investigate and assist those in need no matter the situation or his relationship with them. His design is also one of the most eclectic; changing with every appearance throughout Diamond is Unbreakable (alongside his appearances in his own spin-off appearances, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan, Rohan at the Louvre, and Rohan Goes to Gucci).
4. Johnny Joestar
Johnny is a paraplegic former jockey prodigy, a remastering of Jonathan Joestar (incorporating aspects of Joseph and Jotaro), and the protagonist of part seven’s Steel Ball Run. After encountering Gyro at the starting line, he decides to tag along in the grand race with the intention of finding purpose. His story is one of being able to stand again, both physically and metaphorically, and is embodied by the gradual evolution of his Stand, [Tusk], which goes through four transformative acts. He’s also able to use the Spin technique passed down through the Zeppeli lineage, which is this universe’s equivalent of part one and two’s Hamon. His character design changes in reaction to the environment and season, but always looks stylish and beautiful yet distinctly Western. An inspirational and brilliant character.
3. Gyro Zeppeli
And then there’s Gyro, the man Joseph aspires to be and desires to follow. He’s from the Kingdom of Naples, and the descendent of a long line of executioners. He wants to win the Steel Ball Run to save a child he has been destined to execute who he believes is innocent, and uses his mastery of the Spin technique in combat to dispose of any enemy silly enough to run against him. Despite his harsh & unforgiving exterior, Gyro is actually a comedic goofball on many occasions, always injecting moments of rest with a lighthearted atmosphere, yet able to bring the fury when it’s needed. His Stand, [Ball Breaker], is infrequently seen due to its esoteric and specific nature, and the way he acquires it. But it’s still devastating when paired with a perfect Golden Ratio Spin.
2. Bruno Bucciarati
Bruno is the motherly leader of the main gang, and a respected member of Passione. He’s calculating and logical, yet always retains empathy or sympathy for as long as his – or his companion’s – lives aren’t on the line. His design is sleek, with a teardrop collage monochromatic suit adorned with zippers, and various buckles about his person. Bruno serves as the secondary protagonist of Golden Wind, fighting hand-in-hand with Giorno to overtake The Boss and free the Neapolitan streets of corruption. His Stand, [Sticky Fingers], permits quick traversal via zipping warpholes he can implant on organic and inorganic items, making him a sticky opponent to fight against, but a valuable ally to fight with.
1. Gappy (Josuke Higashikata)
Known prominently online as Gappy due to the gap between his two front teeth, Josuke is the newest JoJo and current protagonist of JoJolion. He’s an enigmatic man with no memories, formed out of the fusion of two other people, and given the task of forming a new sense of identity. Gappy’s journey is as much an introspective one as it is a dynamic and action packed one, set across the bizarre town of an alternative Morioh. His Stand is [Soft & Wet] and capable of plundering properties of a target, explosive bursting, and seems to be linked to the mysterious Stand power of Steel Ball Run. He’s a mystery to everyone except Araki, yet shows the most potential and growth of any character he’s ever written, embodying the core nature vs. nurture motif that’s woven throughout every part. Gappy is the personification of dichotomy, Cartesian dualism, a lost identity, and existentialism. I really hope he ends up with a fulfilling finalized character arc, because as of this writing he’s only improved with every chapter. So I have great hopes.
